into a global conflict lasting seven years, involve england, franch, austria, russia, prussia, and dozen other nations fighting for control over colonies in north america, africa, asia, and the seas in between. the seven years war changed the map of the world shifting national borders in europe, in africa, in india, and elsewhere. it leveled thousands of towns and villages in europe. killed or maimed more than a million soldiers and civilians, and bankrupted a dozen nations including england and france. remember, it started in britain's north american colonies, and the british government and british people naturally thought british subjects in british north america should share the costs of the war with their fellow citizens in britain. in fact, the government raised property taxes so high in britain that farmers rioted in protest and demanded that americans pay their fair share of the war. in 17 # 64, the british government extended to the colonies a stamp tax that everyone in britain had been paying for more than 70 years. it amounted to next to nothing for the average citizen, a pepny or tw
